Fingerprint scans coming for American travelers to most of Europe in new policy

France, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom and 25 other countries will begin implementing the new Entry/Exit System (EES) on Oct. 12 over the course of about six months.  

"These European countries will introduce the different elements of the EES in phases, including the collection of biometric data, such as facial image and fingerprints," the European Union's (EU) website notes.

The system will be able to track if visitors overstay their welcome in the Schengen Area, which is a zone of 29 European countries that allow movement.

A self-service system is offered for those with a biometric passport, which contains a "chip" of the personal biometric information collected.

Last week, the U.S. Department of State shared a public service announcement on its X account.

The EU states that safeguards are in place to ensure the protection of the data, and that the data "will only be retained in the EES for as long as necessary and for the purpose(s) for which it was collected," reads the site.